SEOUL – South Korean tech giant Samsung has launched on Sunday, most awaited smartphones of this year Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 held in Barcelona.
Samsung improves the camera and audio on the newly launched devices, with familiar glass on both sides with an aluminum frame in the middle as previously seen on Galaxy S8 and S8+.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ Key Features
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy S9 | Samsung Galaxy S9+ |
| Body | Front/Back glass (Gorila Glass 5), Aluminum frame | Front/Back glass (Gorila Glass 5), Aluminum frame |
| Screen | 5.8” Super AMOLED, 1440 (570 PPI) | 6.2” Super AMOLED, 1440 (529 PPI) |
| Chipset | Exynos 9810, Octa-core (4×2.8 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A55) | Exynos 9810, Octa-core (4×2.8 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Memory | 4GB RAM + 64/128/256 GB Memory and microSD slot | 6GB RAM + 64/128/256 GB Memory and microSD slot |
| Camera | 12MP (f1.5-2.4) , 2160p video @60fps | Dual 12MP (f1.5-2.4) camera , 2160p video @60fps |
| Front Camera | 8MP (1.7f), 1440p dual video camera | 8MP (1.7f), 1440p dual video camera |
| OS | Android 8.0 | Android 8.0 |
| Battery | 3000 mAh | 3500 mAh |
| Misc | 3D Touch home button, Always-on display, fingerprint and iris scanner | 3D Touch home button, Always-on display, fingerprint and iris scanner |
Display and Design
The Galaxy S9 is equipped with 5.8 inches Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display which gives 1440 x 2960 resolution and 18:5:9 ratios with a pixel density of 570 PPI (Pixel per Inch) density.
Whereas The Galaxy S9+ features a 6.2 inches Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display which gives 1440 x 2960 resolution 18:5:9 ratios with a pixel density of 529 PPI (Pixel per Inch) density.
Waterproofing is still available (IP 68) alongside newly added stereo speakers. The overall sound output is noticeably higher than the S8 (40% according to Samsung).
Samsung is also adding AR emoji, which is exactly the same as the Animoji on iPhone X. The iris scanner will now be coupled with a face scan (now called Intelligent scan), which will allow the S9 to detect and unlock your face easier than before.
Hardware and Storage
Both smartphones are powered by Exynos 9810 Octa-core (4×2.8 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A55) processor and Mali-G72 MP18 GPU.
RAM capacity is same as last year’s S8 with 4 GB for S9 and 6 GB for S9+. Storage options range from 64/128/256 GB with a microSD card slot for even more space.
The two phones will run Android 8.0 Oreo with Grace UX.
Camera
Samsung Galaxy S9 has 12 MP sensor with variable aperture of f1.5 or f/2.4 (26mm, 1/2.5″, 1.4 µm, Dual Pixel PDAF), phase detection autofocus, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and LED flash.
The S9+ sports a dual camera setup with two 12 MP sensors. The main sensor is the same as S9, with variable aperture however the second sensor is locked at f/2.4. It also features OIS and dual pixel phase-detection autofocus.
Another addition is the 960 fps super slow-mo. The difference is in the automatic motion detection with the camera automatically detecting movement and recording it in slow motion.
4K recording at HEVC codec is also added, which significantly decreases the size of the videos.
Both smartphones have the same 8 MP sensors from last year with f/1.7 and autofocus.
Battery and Price
Nothing has changed on the battery front either, with Galaxy S9 coming with a 3,000 mAh unit and S9+ with a 3,500 mAh package.
Samsung’s own fast charging tech is available as well as Qi wireless charging support.
S9 and S9+ will be available in Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray and Lilac Purple. The Galaxy S9 starts at $720 in the U.S. while the S9+ is priced at $840.
Pre-orders start from March 2nd in South Korea. For the rest of the world, pre-orders will begin within a week or two after that.
Watch official launch video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_-NKRVn7IQ
